When my Mom and Dad came to visit, Dad and I had a special project for Sullivan. Natalie got Sullivan an Amby baby hammock and we had to figure out a way to hang it on the boat where it would be secure enough to hold a growing baby.

The Amby comes with a stand that has an eye that a metal spring attaches to on one side, and the top of the baby hammock on the other. There’s also an additional safety lanyard. When a baby is in the hammock it can swing back and forth, and bounce up and down with just a little push.

I couldn’t find any secure points to screw an eye in to inside the boat, and I didn’t want to drill a hole through the fiberglass for a baby hammock that we’d use for less than a year. My idea was to build a supporting frame and hang that over a hatch with an eye in the middle.

Dad and I went to Dixiline Lumber and got an 8ft piece of 2 x 2 and cut it down to approximately 22 inches by 22 inches to fit over the hatch. I drilled through the center of the two pieces and attached them together like a plus sign with an eye bolt. We added some extra supporting wood so the plus lays level on the hatch. Lastly we added some blocks to prevent shifting while the swing moves.

Sullivan likes his swing, but we don’t use it while underway because the hatch has to be open and with it open it acts like a wind scoop and can let sea spray in.